Digital Mirror: Invisible Labor

This Digital Mirror symposium explores the human labor required to feed, train, and maintain AI systems.

We delve into the world of clickwork and digital microtasks: low-paid human labor essential for AI functioning, yet often invisible. Why does this work remain unseen, and what does it reveal about the power dynamics supported by technology? What can history teach us about the relationship between technology, labor, and power?
This event takes place at the House of Connections, University of Groningen, Grote Markt 21.

Sign up via the ticket link!
Language: English

PROGRAM

14:00-15:00
OPTIONAL TOUR with Roosje Klap, Director of Noorderlicht
Location: Akerk
Explore the exhibition Pixel Perceptions during an exclusive and free tour led by Roosje Klap, Director of Noorderlicht and co-curator of the exhibition. Discover the stories, ideas, and processes behind the works and get a unique behind-the-scenes look. Don’t miss this chance to engage in a thought-provoking conversation about AI, lens-based media, and their impact on our society. Please purchase an entrance ticket for the exhibition for this segment.

15:15-16:15
PROMPT BATTLE by The Hmm
Location: House of Connections
Imagine a rap battle, but instead of rhymes, it's about crafting the best AI prompts! Participants compete to generate the most original, funny, or bizarre AI images during the Prompt Battle using text-to-image software. With the rise of generative AI, prompt engineering has become an essential skill, enabling better collaboration with AI, saving time, and reducing environmental impact. This playful competition combines creativity and technical skills in a fun and interactive way.

16:15-17:30
Lectures & Panel Discussion featuring Nicolas Gourault and Dr. Seonok Lee
Location: House of Connections

Lecture: Nicolas Gourault—Not Evenly Distributed
Gourault shares the process behind his research into the globalized networks of hidden labor, explored in his project Unknown Label, featured in Pixel Perceptions. He will discuss techniques for online research using open and closed materials and showcase parts of his work-in-progress to illustrate how datasets of so-called 'operational images,' used by machines to understand the world, can be creatively repurposed.

Lecture: Dr. Seonok Lee—Platform Economy and Young Workers: Invisible and Precarious Platform Work
This lecture examines how platforms, such as food delivery in cities like Groningen and data processing worldwide, shape the “future of work.” Many young workers in this growing sector face unstable conditions without protection and are managed by algorithms, rendering their work invisible to most. The lecture offers a critical perspective on future generations' challenges in the labor market.

Panel Discussion
With Nicolas Gourault and Dr. Seonok Lee, moderated by Roosje Klap & Rosa wevers.

Speaker Biographies

The Hmm
The Hmm is a platform focused on internet cultures. It explores and celebrates the creativity that emerges from virtual interactions and their relationship with emerging technologies. Through accessible events, research, exhibitions, and educational programs, The Hmm offers curious audiences playful and thought-provoking insights into online life.

Nicolas Gourault
Nicolas Gourault is a French artist and filmmaker with a background in fine arts and visual studies. A graduate of Le Fresnoy and former researcher at Forensic Architecture, he combines online open-source research with a critical application of new media as documentary tools. Through films and video installations, he examines power dynamics in technology and creates alternative narratives with personal testimonies and experimental imaging. His work has been shown at institutions like Centre Pompidou, ZKM, and Ars Electronica, and at film festivals such as Cinéma du Réel, Sheffield Doc|Fest, and IndieLisboa.

Roosje Klap
Roosje Klap is the general director of Noorderlicht. In her role, she is further developing the organization into a space where artistic experimentation and social engagement go hand in hand. She aims to create a platform for dialogue and innovation, where tradition and progress meet to make societal impact through lens-based visual culture. In 2021, Roosje and her collective ARK created the interactive digital installation LAWKI for the Noorderlicht Biennale A Makeable Mind, which won a Golden Calf in 2022 for Best Digital Cultural Production.

Dr. Seonok Lee
Dr. Seonok Lee is a lecturer at the University of Groningen. She obtained her PhD from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. As a sociologist, her research focuses on social inequalities, particularly global labor migration, labor market integration, inequality, racial hierarchies, class, and gender. Recently, she has expanded her interests to (digital) platform workers and the gig economy.

Dr. Rosa Wevers is a senior researcher in Art & Technology at the Knowledge Center for Art and Society (Hanze University of Applied Sciences). Her research focuses on the interactions between art, technology, and society. She completed her PhD at Utrecht University on the theme of surveillance in art exhibitions and curated the exhibition Face Value for IMPAKT in 2021. Rosa is working as a co-curator at Noorderlicht on Pixel Perceptions and Machine Entanglements, where she integrates her research with artistic practice.

This symposium is organized in collaboration with the Jantine Tammes School of the University of Groningen and The Hmm, partners of Noorderlicht.